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RWood · 08-09-2008, 02:14 PM

Back in the days before terminals when all programs were entered via cards, they were punched out on a klunky machine that sounded a lot like sitting next to the engines on some jet planes. The chads (as Florida election officials call them) punched from the cards were collected in a "bit bucket." After punching your program there would be chads in your hair, inside your shirt, throughout your sweater (never wear a sweater when using a card punch), and more than one time in your nose.

I remember punching one FORTRAN program and never noticing that the ribbon broke half way through the deck of cards. This left half of the cards with punches but no readable marks at the top to identify the contents of the card.

08-09-2008, 02:14 PM	#88
RWood Technogeezer Posts: 7,233 Karma: 1601464 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Virginia, USA Device: Sony PRS-500	Back in the days before terminals when all programs were entered via cards, they were punched out on a klunky machine that sounded a lot like sitting next to the engines on some jet planes. The chads (as Florida election officials call them) punched from the cards were collected in a "bit bucket." After punching your program there would be chads in your hair, inside your shirt, throughout your sweater (never wear a sweater when using a card punch), and more than one time in your nose. I remember punching one FORTRAN program and never noticing that the ribbon broke half way through the deck of cards. This left half of the cards with punches but no readable marks at the top to identify the contents of the card.